Austrian Partnership Practice:

The Austrian TEPs, its network and

Co-ordination Unit

(TEP: Territorial Employment Pacts)

Zagreb, March 2008

The Austrian TEP rationale

Labour market challenges exist, which can not be met by just a few institutions on their own

_ e.g. concentration of unemployment on certain groups of persons_ e.g. gender segregation on the labour market _ e.g. shifts between industries, economic sectors and regions as a result of developments, in the business and technology areas in particular

Partnerships add considerable value to the policy development process through:

_ e.g. bringing together actors and policy areas;_ e.g. improving vertical communication between policy makers; _ e.g. supporting the better adaptation of policies to local circumstances, needs and opportunities; _ e.g. testing and sharing good practice; offering know-how on what works and what does not.

(See also Vienna Action Statement on Partnerships, 2007, OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance)

TEP Definition

What is a Territorial Employment Pact?

Territorial Employment Pacts (TEPs) are contracted regional partnerships to better link employment policy with other policies in order to improve the employment situation on regional and local level.

The support structure is being offered within the framework of the structural funds programme (ESF, 2007-2013) on an intensified

basis by means of a specific focus in Objective 2 Austria programme (priority 5).

Objectives and tasks

TEPs contribute_ to greater effectiveness and efficiency of resources;_ to improved support for certain target groups;_ to saving existing jobs and creating new ones;_ to generating subsidies for regions; and_ to maintaining our living space sustainable.

Major tasks of TEPs_ co-ordinating partners and their topics;_ developing joint work programmes (TEP-programme); and_ implementing the measures according to the emphasis of the

TEPs.

TEP - Partners

Provincial GovernmentLabour Market Service

Federal Office of Social Affairs

Chamber of Labour

Economic Chamber

Chamber of Agriculture

NGOs (Local Initiatives) Municipalities

Federation of Industry

Federation of Trade Unions

Provincial School Board

Educational Institutions

Gender Mainstreaming Experts

Budgets of the

partners:

over EUR 700

Million p.a.

Tyrol

Burgenland

Vorarlberg Salzburg

Upper Austria Lower Austria

Styria

Carinthia

Vienna

Regional Highlights

Regional Managers for Employment

Monitoring / Evaluation

Direct linkage between ERDF / ESF

Implementation within OP Phasing Out

Open partnership-process

Wide-spread partnership with specific focus on qualification

Joint foresighted content work

Regional platforms

Local Pacts

The Austrian TEP-model

1. The TEPs: Country-coverage TEPs are established in all nine Austrian Federal Provinces (since 2000).

Additionally, TEPs have been set up on sub-regional levels (NUTS III)

2. The Co-ordination Unit: Provides supportA nation-wide Co-ordination Unit (contracted with the BMWA / Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour / ESF-Unit) provides partnership support, training, information and exchanges between partnerships (since 1999)

3. The TEP-Network: Exchange is ensuredThe TEP-network is maintained by the Co-ordination Unit and brings together all TEPs as well as other important stakeholders.

The Co-ordination Unit

_ provides support, training, information and exchanges _ is contracted by the BMWA_ serves as information hub and manages the TEP-network_ matches the needs between BMWA and TEPs_ has a neutral role

The support structure is being offered within the framework of the structural funds programme (ESF, 2007-2013) on an intensified

basis by means of a specific focus in OP for Employment (Technical assistance).

TEP-network & TEP results

The Managing Authority together with the Co-ordination Unit and the TEPs as well as other important stakeholders cooperate within the TEP network for the benefit of all involved:

(1) the TEPs increased the involvement of actors in labour market and employment policy; (2) they successfully linked policy areas; (3) contributed to improved effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of policies and (4) are characterized by openness, flexibility and dynamics.

The operative structures of the TEPs are subsidized by the OP for Employment (priority 5; ESF, 2007-2013).

Balance TEPs 2000-2006

Annually, approx. Euro 200,000.- per regional TEP Budget used for co-ordination (ESF)

Approx. Euro 700,000,000.- (calculation)

Approx. Euro 200,000,000.-

TEP-Budget co-ordinated with all partners

Youth, Women, Long term unemployed, Employees, Enterprises, Low qualified, Socially excluded groups, Persons with disabilities, Older workers, etc.

Youth, Women, Long term unemployed, Employees, Enterprises, Low qualified

Target groups

Interface of the labour market and social welfare, Elderly at the labour market, TEP Consolidation / „STEPs-Process“, Gender Mainstream-ing, EU-Enlargement, EQUAL / Innovative Measures, Devolution, International Knowledge Exchange, Monitoring and Evaluation, Governance, etc.

Establishment of TEPs, Partnership work, Devolution

Selection of regional programmes implemented and accompanied by the TEPs

17 7 Number of TEPs on local and sub-regional level

2006 (End of the Structural Fund period)

2000 (Beginning of the Structural Fund period)

Identicators

Input – Output Ratio

Input (from BMWA) :

_ Ideological support, such as developing, establishing, mainstreaming partnership approaches, etc.

_ Financially: _ e.g. € 200.000 are spent for funding the partnership structures per region

annually (the costs are subsidised within the OP for employment 2007-2013)

_ e.g. the annual average costs for the Co-ordination Unit amount for approximately € 275.000 (the costs are subsidised within the OP for employment 2007-2013)

Output:

_ e.g. the Austrian TEPs coordinate € 700 million allocated to active labour market policy annually (data of 2007; the budget is provided by the partners of the partnerships for measures and target groups).

_ e.g. the TEPs contribute to improved effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of policies

Testimonies

"The development and implementation of the Territorial Employment Pacts was a milestone in the Austrian labour market policy. Now we can better solve problems together with the regions."Martin Bartenstein, Federal Minister of Economics and Labour (translated by the Co-ordination Unit of TEPs; Source: www.pakte.at)

“Over the years the establishment of the co-ordination unit of the TEPs as information platform about the Austrian labour market policy proved to be a key success factor”Michael Förschner, Head of ESF-Unit Austria (translated by the Co-ordination Unit of TEPs; 2003; Source: Lokale Beschäftigungsbündnisse – Europäische Perspektiven in Forschung und Praxis. Hans Böckler Stiftung, edition sigma, ISBN 3-89404-989-8)

OECD LEED Forum Partnerships (A Selection)

Austrian TEPs

Canadian CFDCs

Berlin Pacts

Greek partnerships

Hungarian TEPs

Irish partnerships

France: CBE, MIFE, EREF and PLIELSIPs in SK

SNP in Portugal

Partnerships in Norway

New Zealand RPP

TEPs in Catalonia

WIBs in USA

Italian TEPs

LSP in UK

RESOC & SEER in Flanders

Finnish partnerships

Swedish RGC

LAG in BiH

Partnerships in CZOPE in Luxembourg

ACCs in Australia

WIRED in USA

Contact

Centre for Social Innovation - ZSI / Vienna

Co-ordination Unit of Austrian TEPskooo@zsi.at

Homepage: http://www.pakte.athttp://www.zsi.at

Thank you